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Politicians have misunderstood media regulation – PAZA

Politicians have misunderstood media regulation – PAZA
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Sunday, January 25, 2009 7:26:12 AM

PRESS Association of Zambia (PAZA) president Andrew Sakala yesterday said politicians have misunderstood statutory regulation of the media.

Commenting on justice deputy minister Todd Chilembo's statement in Parliament on Friday in which he accused the media of playing double standards by refusing to be regulated, Sakala said politicians had misunderstood the meaning of statutory regulation because in their debates, they speak as though there is no statutory regulation in the country.

"In my understanding, statutory regulation means laws that help to promote freedom of the press and protect the public from malicious publications by the media. Laws of libel are statutory regulation of the media which are laws that protect the public from the media publicising false information on an individual and organisation, that is statutory regulation," he said. "Secondly, the Electoral Code of Conduct which is under the electoral Act, this is also statutory regulation of the media. It talks about how the media should cover political campaigns in an election, if you look at the Electoral Code of Conduct which is part of the electoral Act, it tells you how the media should conduct itself, that is statutory regulation of the media."

Sakala said there were many laws in the country that regulate the media so people should come clean and say what they want when they talk about statutory regulation of the media.

"Are they talking about licensing journalists or calling for a body that will deregister journalists they think are not doing their job fine," he said.

Sakala said politicians should not try to create laws that were targeted at specific individuals or institutions.

He said politicians should try to create laws that would help enhance Zambia's democracy.

Sakala said it was sad that politicians changed position on matters depending on which side of the political sphere they were on.

"Our experience as PAZA is that if these politicians are in the opposition, they will support media and press freedom but when they get into government, they change positions. So what we want is politicians who are sincere and honest and help build young democracy, politicians who should not create laws just for self-preservations or self-promotion and self-perpetuation," Sakala said. "They should create laws that will move the country forward. They should focus and look into the future, look beyond themselves, look at strengthening and growing democracy."

On Friday, justice deputy minister Todd Chilembo accused the media of playing double standards by refusing to be regulated.

Contributing to the President's opening speech to Parliament, Chilembo said it was important for the media to belong to a professional body that would guide the conduct of its members.

"...It is common knowledge that most professional bodies have associations to which they are affiliated and these associations guide the conduct of the members. I will give an example of the Law Association of Zambia, which has regulations that guide the conduct of its members, Chilembo said. "...It is interesting to note that some journalists are also lawyers, and they are affiliated to the Law Association of Zambia. But I wonder how they find it difficult to belong to a professional media body as journalists if they can accept to be regulated by LAZ as lawyers. These are journalists who are playing double standards."

Chilembo emphasised that government would help to regulate the media if they failed to regulate themselves as one opposition parliamentarian shouted; "simugona chifukwa ca M’membe [you don't sleep because of M'membe, in reference to Post editor Fred M'membe].

"It seems that President Banda's opening speech to Parliament has been misunderstood by the media. The President did not say government will regulate the media. Our position is that the media is free to regulate itself, but that if they fail to regulate themselves we will help them," Chilembo said. "When you live in the media and do whatever you want, be mindful of other people's rights. We cannot have a media which writes whatever it chooses. You choose one person and you always write headlines about that person. In every game, there are rules, and it is important that we have some kind of rules to protect others, and I am very glad that the President came out very clear on this."

Labels: ANDREW SAKALA, MEDIA, PAZ, REGULATION

posted by MrK @ 7:26 AM